


The water bunny

by enigmaticma



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Demigods, Fluff and Fluff, M/M, Red Thread of Fate, Soulmates, Struggle of acceptance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:15:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28051530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticma/pseuds/enigmaticma
Summary: Baekhyun knows that everyone has a red string of fate but Baekhyun's has always been gold and he never heard of a string being any other colour but red.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun & Kim Junmyeon | Suho, Byun Baekhyun/Kim Junmyeon | Suho
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47
Collections: HARDbaekhyunnie: Round 1





	The water bunny

For as long as Byun Baekhyun remembered, any soulmate couple had red threads. So on his sixteenth birthday, seeing gold made him frown the entire birthday party. Nobody asked how it looked so he didn’t know how to ask if it was normal to have a gold string attached to his pinky. 

It took him two years to open the subject with his mother when his cousin said his red string was aching earlier that day. “It’s gold for me,” he let out, as he was drying the dishes she was washing and a sudden crash of dishes startled him. He looked at her as she looked ahead, shocked. In worry, he asked, “is it a bad thing?” 

“No,” her voice wavered, “it is not.” 

“Mom,” Baekhyun wanted to push the discussion but she changed the subject and he just stood there awkwardly, wiping the dishes as he listened at her rumbling. He didn’t know why her reaction made him want to open up about it even less, someone else would have insisted on knowing but he didn’t. 

He just went into his mandatory military service without getting the answers he wanted and during that period he realized that nobody had a golden string. “Hey, The string is always red,” he cautiously asked his division mates during lunch, “why isn’t it golden or green or black?” 

“Red is the colour of love. Having other colours means having different kinds of soulmates,” one explained, “or so we think because I never saw someone with anything but Red in their pinky.” 

Of course, The strings on those who didn’t find their soulmates remained hidden to prevent anyone from interfering with fate, so nobody noticed Baekhyun’s golden string. He wondered what golden meant but nobody had a clear idea of the colour’s meaning. 

He nearly gave up when he noticed his string tighten. A sign that his soulmate was near. 

He was on his way to the university, for an important lecture, but he gave up on it as he followed the string. He was almost running when he found a man with silver blond hair, lying on the grass in the backyard of the university, almost a whole twenty minutes walk from the bus stop. He was wearing an all-white gear, looking like a falling angel and Baekhyun didn’t know how to react, before poking the man. 

He kept on poking the man until the said stranger opened his eyes, blinking confusedly as he sat up. He looked around confused before looking at Baekhyun. Time slowed down as the man lifted his hand to touch Baekhyun, only to notice the stretch of the string. He pulled his hand close to his face before looking at Baekhyun’s pinky. “Soulmate?” He squeaked before jumping on his feet, hugging Baekhyun suddenly. 

Baekhyun nearly toppled down but held the man still because it burned to be close. Every inch of his body was aching for the touch, for the closeness, so they stood there drinking into each other’s presence until it became relatively bearable and Baekhyun pushed the man away. “I am Baekhyun,” his voice shook as much as his body did which was normal, “and you?”

“I am Suho,” the man said with a wide smile, “I am a demi-god!” He lifted his pinky which sparkled with the string, “this is my blood colour.” 

Baekhyun didn’t seem like he believed the man so Suho just lifted his fist and opened his palm to splash Baekhyun on the face. “What the fuck?” Baekhyun hissed stepping away from the man who chuckled in mischief, “what did you do?”

“I used my power on you!” Suho said brightly and he jumped around like a rabbit, “I am so happy!” 

“You are happy I am soulmate?” Baekhyun was utterly confused as he rephrased the man’s words and Suho simply nodded. “I am confused… Why is my soulmate a demi-god? Was I a demi-god in a previous life or was it just random?” 

“No, not random,” Suho frowned, explaining, “Soulmate strings aren't random. The system and the calculations made respect the soulmates’ birth charts. It doesn’t matter where you are born or who you are on this planet as long as you and your soulmate have compatible birth charts.” 

Baekhyun observed him, pensive, but still disbelieving, “but why did our chart match? Should you be with an immortal being like you?” He eventually asked. 

“I am not immortal!” Suho exclaimed happily, holding into Baekhyun’s hand, “I’ll live a mortal life with you here and you will come with me in the afterlife!” 

At that point, Baekhyun’s mind was insisting he was hallucinating. None of that made sense and he wanted to escape. He wanted a moment to think. “So,” he said, “I have this lecture I am late for, can we meet later?” 

Suho nodded and pulled Baekhyun’s hand close, whispering something before letting go. Baekhyun just let him do as he pleased because what the hell? “Just pick some water and call my name into it, I’ll appear before you when you do,” Suho explained before walking away in happy steps, “See you later, Soulmate!” 

Baekhyun blinked at the retreating silhouette and walked to the lecture hall, crawling on the space beside the door. He noticed the students who looked at him and ignored them as he tried to just slow his brain down. It made no sense. 

Okay, maybe the idea of demi-gods isn’t far fetched in a world with fate strings and soulmates, but why him? Was it the reason his mother reacted that way? He didn’t know how to think of it so instead, he decided to leave the decision to his mother. 

She had to know something.

He skipped the entire day, making Chanyeol copy his notes instead. “It’s a serious situation,” was all he said before he left the university in a rush. He took two buses to go home, knowing very well that his mother would be home by Lunch.

She indeed was home when he knocked on the door. “Baekhyun?” she mumbled in surprise before he pushed her inside, “honey, what are you doing here?” Baekhyun just lifted his hand, showing the golden knot on his pinky and she gasped, stating “you met your soulmate.” 

“It’s a demi-god whatever and It makes no sense to me, Mom. It makes no sense,” He almost yelled it as his mother closed the door, “It makes no sense, Mom. Please explain this to me. Did you know it meant that?” 

His mother sighed before nodding. “It is not uncommon to be the soulmate of demi-gods,” she explained, “your generation doesn’t know it but my grandma had a demi-god soulmate and she explained it to me when I was a kid.” 

“Grandma? Does it mean we are demi-gods too?” Baekhyun was shocked but relieved when his mother shook her head. He didn’t feel ready to lose his identity as a human so suddenly.

“She was married when they met and he made the choice to wait for her in the after-life,” His mother explained, “apparently, unlike normal people, those who have demi-gods as soulmates don’t lose their strings.” 

“He said the same,” Baekhyun explained, “My soulmate said that we will be together in the after-life too.” 

His mother sighed, pulling him inside. She was making lunch and she invited him to join her in the making as their brains tried to slow down on the situation. “So when you were shocked back then,” Baekhyun eventually asked, “you knew I had a demi-god soulmate.” 

“Yeah, Grandma had a golden string too, so I knew it meant that.” 

Baekhyun nodded and kept on cutting or washing what his mother offered. He stayed for lunch, melting in the wonderful taste of the food before he looked up to meet his mother’s worried eyes. “What is it, mom?” 

“I just hope that having a different kind of soulmates isn’t going to make your life hard,” she said as she held his hand, “you struggled a lot because of it.” 

Baekhyun indeed did and he somehow didn’t think the future would be any worse than how he struggled.

He didn’t expect the entire campus to know he had a golden string. Some were weirded out. Some were amazed. Either way, Baekhyun was uncomfortable with the attention. He tried to avoid hanging out with people, except Chanyeol, his roommate and classmate, who was kind enough not to ask about the golden knot on his pinky.

He went on a week like that when on a rainy day, he noticed the rain avoided him as he walked to the campus. “Wow, dude,” Chanyeol commented, “I am soaked and you are barely humid.” 

“I…” He looked around, as he remembered Suho wielded water and noticed a curled man in all white in a hidden corner of the front yard, “go in, I’ll follow you later.” 

Chanyeol seemed to notice the silhouette too as he didn’t push and walked inside the campus’s cafeteria. Baekhyun meanwhile walked to the man in white who seemed to be snoring. 

He poked Suho twice before the demi-god looked up and smiled brightly. “Oh, Baekhyun,” Suho said standing, “I am happy you found me.” 

“What are you doing here?” Baekhyun asked, getting closer. 

Suho stood and held Baekhyun’s hand instantly. It made Baekhyun feel suddenly like he was surrounded by clouds and Suho’s expression shifted before he smiled again. “It was raining so I came to shelter you from it,” he explained after what seemed ages long silence, “just go to your classroom.” 

Baekhyun didn’t know what to say to that so he just pointed at the cafeteria and asked, “do you want to drink coffee?” 

Suho frowned. “I am prohibited from drinking it,” he admitted, “but I can drink water.” 

Baekhyun smiled at that and nodded as he led Suho inside. Chanyeol frowned when he saw them walking toward him but said nothing until Baekhyun introduced him. 

“I know him,” Suho commented, “I’ve seen you with your soulmate by the lake.” Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol’s hand, noticing the red thread, before looking back at Suho.

“You were stalking him?” Baekhyun asked him teasingly and Suho gasped in horror, shaking his head. It made Baekhyun smile as he said, “I was kidding.” 

“I am bad with human humour,” Suho admitted with a pout.

Chanyeol said nothing the entire time but he couldn’t but ask, “So you are not human?” 

“I am a demigod,” Suho explained, “Technically, my mother is human, my father is a demigod too, but I get a full God blood from my father so I’m half each. It is why my blood has a colour. Gods don’t have colours in their blood but with the red colour of human blood, it turns into gold.” 

Chanyeol nodded at the explanation while Baekhyun just observed Suho in a pure daze. The mere fact he has a soulmate filled his lungs with relief and having Suho so close made it much real. “So what do you plan to do?” Chanyeol asked Baekhyun who looked at him in shock for a moment. 

“I’ll court him,” Suho said with a proud smile. “Dad gave me his blessings so I’m going to do my best to own Baekhyun’s heart like I own his fate.” 

“To own my heart?” Baekhyun asked him in confusion and Suho cutely nodded. Baekhyun couldn’t help but imagine Suho with white fluffy bunny ears.

Suho noticed the confusion in the people listening. “To be soulmates does not mean in any shape or form that you love the person you are fated to be with. It only means fate will help that love. Hence why Baekhyun doesn’t love me now but he will eventually.” 

Baekhyun nodded, as it made sense, and sighed as his mind wondered how he would deal with a demi-god courting him. He didn’t notice how his face fell and how it made Suho sad until Chanyeol kicked him in the leg. He blinked at his friend who offered him coffee. “Drink coffee and stop overthinking,” the taller said. “We still have assignments to finish.” 

“Damn,” Baekhyun whispered as he sipped on coffee before looking at Suho who looked down to his hands. “Can’t you drink anything but water?” 

“I can drink teas, any type of it,” Suho brightened up as he answered. Baekhyun smiled at the cuteness the man showed. “I just can’t drink coffee. It is harmful to me.” 

“Wait, for real?” Baekhyun asked him in surprise. “Why?” 

Suho leaned, looking around, and whispered into Baekhyun’s ear. “I’m a water bunny, my digestive system is like a real-life bunny.” Baekhyun looked at him in disbelief and Suho nodded, serious. 

“No wonder I imagined you with big white fluffy bunny ears,” Baekhyun commented in a whisper as well and Suho went crimson red. 

He whispered, “I can show them to you on a full moon, someday.” Baekhyun looked surprised for a second before smiling softly and nodded. 

Suho left when they were done with their coffee as he didn’t want to disturb them while they made their assignments, plus the rain stopped. Baekhyun tried to focus on his work but the idea of Suho somehow made him wonder how at ease he would be in the future if the mere hour he spent with them made him happy.

“Are you okay?” Chanyeol asked him. 

Baekhyun looked at him for a moment and asked. “Didn’t it terrify you to meet your soulmate?” Chanyeol looked taken aback and Baekhyun put his pencil down. “I was wondering if it is terrifying for me because he is not fully human or if it is terrifying for everybody and I’m not that special.”

“It is terrifying,” Chanyeol admitted, “your soulmate is always a stranger at first and even without the entire soulmate system, the person you will love would be always a stranger to you at first and dealing with strangers and uncertainties is scary.” 

“True,” Baekhyun commented with a sigh, “I guess I am indeed overthinking the entire thing. I’ll be fine.” 

“You will, however, suffer more through it than us,” Chanyeol commented with a smirk, “I heard the bunny gods are insatiable in bed.” 

Baekhyun nearly choked on his second cup of coffee before looking at Chanyeol, coughing. “What the hell, Chanyeol.” Chanyeol chuckled and focused on his assignment and Baekhyun tried to do the same.

He truly tried but honestly, Sex only added another layer of pressure to his already overdriving brain. He wondered how it would be. He had many theories and many assumptions. He didn’t know how the future would be and how much he was ready for it. 

He didn’t feel ready for it at all. 

Baekhyun saw Suho more often during the rainy days than he did when it snowed. It worried Baekhyun whenever he saw snow as he didn’t know why the man would be nowhere to be seen. He couldn’t talk to Suho by phone as mortal devices were prohibited in his father’s home. 

He could try the trick Suho kept on insisting he could use to call him but it felt silly to just pick some water with his left hand and call Suho. Suho’s powers didn’t feel like a real thing yet. However, it snowed for a week and Baekhyun was done with exams. He was alone in his dorm room as Chanyeol had left home as soon as he was done, not even waiting for the results like Baekhyun. 

Baekhyun wanted to try and test the trick as soon as Chanyeol left but why would he? He had nothing edible at home so he got to the nearest store, buying vegetables for Suho and some spicy rice cake for himself. 

He cooked some sweet potatoes and made a salad before hesitating in front of the faucet. He was nervous about it and he didn’t know why. Picking some water in his left hand, he called Suho three times before letting the water slip between his fingers. “It’s stupid, I don’t think it worked,” Baekhyun mumbled to himself, turning to pick the spicy rice cake when knocks were heard. He paused in shock but as the knocks persisted he rushed to open the door on Suho who seemed to be shivering.

“Cold,” Suho simply said and Baekhyun pushed him in. He led Suho to Chanyeol’s bed, covering him. 

He didn’t expect suho to look so cold. “I am sorry, I didn’t know you can’t handle snow,” Baekhyun apologized, “I just wanted to check on you because you disappeared.” 

“I can’t handle cold,” Suho admitted, curling in the bed, “but I couldn’t ignore your call.” Baekhyun felt guilt hit him in waves so he hurried to pick the potatoes, which were still hot, and handed them to the confused suho. “Oh, sweet potatoes! I love it.” 

“I am sorry for calling you in such cold weather,” Baekhyun said as he picked his food, “I just worried because you haven't shown in a while. I didn’t think the cold was affecting you the way it affects water.” 

“It’s okay,” Suho said as he munched into his food. “You don’t know me yet, Baekhyun, and I don’t know you either. We will learn.” 

Baekhyun smiled, agreeing. They remained silent for a while and as Suho looked less cold, Baekhyun dared to ask him if he wanted the salad. Suho nodded eagerly. “I hope you at least added seasoning, Dad refused to let me try anything unless it is bland and I’m sick of it.” 

“I did a little,” Baekhyun assured before offering him the salad and he curled by his side. “I got a movie to watch if you want to.” Suho nodded, obviously happy. “Do you watch movies at home?” 

“Yes, I do, I use water to watch movies in secret. Sadly, People leave water out when they get into the movie theatres, I truly want to see how it looks like inside,” Suho commented with a pout. 

“I’ll take you there when it is warmer,” Baekhyun offered before he could control himself and Suho only brightened up more. It made Baekhyun swallow his embarrassment and set the laptop on a bed table Chanyeol used to eat in bed. He played a fairly normal film but Suho seemed to enjoy every moment of it. He kept his eyes focused on it while Baekhyun couldn’t take his eyes off Suho. 

The man was a real beauty. 

Suho eventually looked at him. “You don’t like the movie?” He wondered, innocent confusion written on his face. 

“I do,” Baekhyun assured but he didn’t look away and Suho didn’t either. They kept looking into each other for a long moment before Baekhyun’s phone buzzed which made him jump out of his skin. He picked the phone noticing his mother’s number on it. “It’s mom,” he announced before answering, “hi mom.”

“Hi, darling,” the woman said, “I’ll come to pick you and Dad tomorrow. The snow will get worse apparently and it would be safer for you to stay with us instead of staying alone in your dorm room.” 

Baekhyun looked at Suho who observed him innocently. “Eum, mom, I’m with my soulmate. I don’t know if he can go to his home tomorrow before the storm,” he said.

“Your what?” 

“My soulmate, mom, and he need to stay warm too. Can I take him with me? I promise I’ll behave,” Baekhyun didn’t know what came into him to say so. “He can take Baekboom Hyung’s room if you want.” As his mother didn’t speak, he looked at Suho, “I just think he would struggle to go home and since he can not handle the cold, maybe to stay with me would be safer until it is less cold?” 

“You are sure it is okay for him to come?” She asked him and he looked toward Suho who nodded.

“My older brother will pick me up if it gets colder than this but I’m okay with staying with you,” Suho assured him so, in the end, he and Baekhyun ended up curled in the back of Baekhyun’s father’s car. Baekhyun insisted that Suho should wear his warmest coat and he even gave Suho heat pads. 

The demi-god indeed looked like he would die of cold so Baekhyun kept on trying to keep him warm. “I should have given you more socks and my shoes,” Baekhyun commented. 

“It’s okay, I’ll be warmer indoors,” Suho assured, shivering. 

The old couple said nothing aside from greeting Suho and they drove in silence until they got home. Suho was set in Baekhyun’s bed, not that the humans complained about it, and Baekhyun made sure that he had an extra blanket wrapped around him. “Our heater will heat him soon,” his mother said eventually, “he shouldn’t get so wrapped up.” 

“She is right,” Suho insisted when Baekhyun didn’t seem convinced, “I’ll be alright, Baekhyun.” 

Baekhyun sighed and nodded. “Let me know if you need anything, okay?” Sho nodded and he curled in his spot. “I’ll help mom make lunch. I’ll make you soup.” 

Suho pouted, showing a cute expression of displeasure. “can I start eating mortal food? I am done with bland things,” he pleaded. 

“You need to take it easy, I’ll add some seasoning but only a little, okay? I don’t want your father to come here and unleash his wrath on me.” Baekhyun smiled at Suho’s obedient nod and he patted on his hair before following his mother outside. 

She nodded to his father who was sitting on the table and Baekhyun noticed. “Is there an issue?” He asked him. “My soulmate and I are on speaking terms only, I just… I called him over to talk but he was freezing to death so he stayed.” 

“I am okay with that, Baekhyun. It is not the issue,” his father said before pointing at the empty chair in front of him. “I am just worried about you. How affected your life is by all this?” 

“I am fine, father.” Baekhyun smiled as he admitted. “People were eyeing me weirdly at first but now, I barely notice anything. I am not worried about the future the way I used to, maybe because I got used to Suho being around.” 

The couple sighed in relief. “That’s a great thing to hear,” His mother said with a smile. “Your mental health wasn’t the best for a long period of time, we worried having a demi-god soulmate would only make it worse.” 

Baekhyun’s smile fell. Was his mental health really that obvious? He struggled with the despair and depression not having a normal knot in his pinky, but he didn’t expect his family to notice. “I am sorry. I didn’t notice it affected you.” His father patted his shoulder and Baekhyun said, “having Suho around made me happier, so don’t worry. We are still learning about each other so I can’t tell you what would happen in the future but it feels promising.” 

He felt it first as a wave of warmth and happiness hit him and he looked back to his room, finding Suho standing there. The man looked so happy that Baekhyun smiled too. Suho approached them before bowing to the parents. “I’ll do my best to take care of him,” he said, still bowing, “I promise.” 

“That’s all we ask for. Please sit,” Baekhyun’s mother said with a warm tone. She served lunch and made sure Suho had food to eat without too much seasoning. Suho was so happy about it that he sparkled the entire time. Meanwhile, Baekhyun couldn’t take his eyes off Suho. 

Suho washed the dishes with his power, helping Baekhyun, while the couples went out for an errand. “Dad will work until late and mom will come back soon,” Baekhyun said suddenly, “do you want us to watch movies before she comes or we can snuggle and watch something in my bed?” 

“I like the TV, let us watch something there,” Suho urged him and they cuddled as they watched a normal film. Like the last time, Suho watched the movie while Baekhyun just soaked Suho’s presence in. He couldn’t look away anyway. 

Suho looked at him eventually and smiled. “I am happy,” he said. “Dad and I worried a lot that having a human soulmate meant that I’ll be rejected like many demi-gods before me, but you accepted me and I can’t stop being happy about it. Thank you.” 

“No, Thank you for not giving up on me and for looking for me,” Baekhyun replied, pulling Suho closer. He wrapped his arms around the man and said, “Let’s have a long happy life and after life together.” 

Suho hugged Baekhyun tightly back and Baekhyun could only thank whatever made him accept Suho faster because as he closed his eyes, he could picture a life full of happiness with the man in his arms. 


End file.
